Chapter 901
Know When to Stop
"Clap!"
A piercing, crisp sound rang out in the study of the Li family manor halfway up Victoria Peak. Another valuable Qing Dynasty official kiln blue-and-white porcelain vase was reduced to a pile of tragic fragments on the hard oak wall. Expensive porcelain shards scattered everywhere, with a few even narrowly missing the trouser hem of the middle-aged butler who stood by with his hands hanging down.
Li Zekai's chest heaved violently, his once handsome face now twisted and flushed red with extreme anger. He turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the butler who had rushed in to deliver the news, like a wild beast ready to devour its prey.
The aroma of expensive cigars and cologne in the study was completely overwhelmed by a violent smell of gunpowder.
"What did you say?" Li Zekai's voice was as if it had been pulled from an ice cellar, every word dripping with venom. "Say it again?"
The butler suppressed the humiliation and fear welling up inside him, lowered his head slightly, but his voice carried an undeniable air of authority: "Second Young Master, it's...it's true. Master just returned from a conference call in Europe and was furious after learning about the matter involving Pengcheng Hongxin Real Estate and Wangde Building Materials. He...he personally instructed you to immediately call Mr. Lu of Century Group, apologize, and 'properly' handle this matter."
The butler deliberately emphasized the word "properly," implying that this was more than just an apology.
"I'll apologize to the hell!" Li Zekai's roar almost lifted the roof off. He suddenly raised his hand, pointing to the study door, his fingers trembling violently from the force. "Get out! Get out of here right now! If you dare mention it again, I'll smash the next vase over your head!"
The butler raised his head and gave the second young master, whom he had watched grow up, a deep look.
There was helplessness, disappointment, and even a hint of barely perceptible pity in his eyes—pity for him, blinded by anger, unable to see the true situation.
But in the end, he was just a butler, a loyal cog in the vast empire of the Li family.
He bowed slightly, said nothing, and silently left the study, which was filled with an aura of destruction. He gently closed the heavy door, shutting out Li Zekai's rage.
The heavy doors blocked out the outside world, but they couldn't block out the raging resentment churning in Li Zekai's chest.
Like a caged beast, he paced back and forth in his study, which was covered with expensive Persian carpets, his leather shoes making a dull, oppressive sound as they trod on the carpet.
Each step felt like crushing an unseen opponent.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the pile of blue-and-white porcelain wreckage on the ground, as if he were staring at Lu Yang's face, which he loathed.
"You surnamed Lu! You bumpkin from the mainland!" He gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse. "You think sending a few people to prison and cutting off a few of the Li family's tentacles that have reached into Shenzhen can scare me, Li Zekai? Can you cripple the Li family? Dream on!"
He abruptly stopped, his hands gripping the large mahogany desk, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the force. Leaning slightly forward, he growled into the air, "Hongxin? Wangde? They're just pawns on the surface! It's an investment business that idiot brother of mine is in charge of! What good will it do to touch them, other than make the old man think my brother is incompetent? You think you can force me, Li Zekai, to bow down like this?"
The flames of anger burned away his reason, but a deeper calculation was growing wildly in his eyes.
He suddenly sat up straight, a twisted and sinister smile appearing on his face.
"Daddy... why would Daddy suddenly ask me to apologize? It must be Big Brother again! It must be that good-for-nothing!" He seemed to have found an outlet for his anger, his voice filled with deep-seated resentment. "How many bad things did he say about me to Daddy? He must have pushed all the blame for the defeat in Pengcheng onto me, saying that I offended that guy surnamed Lu, which led to this retaliation! Is the old man getting too old and easily swayed? Or was he blinded by Big Brother's 'putting the big picture'?"
The more Li Zekai thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was the truth.
Hongxin Real Estate and Wangde Building Materials are nominally important investments by the Li family in mainland China, but the majority of the funds and operational control are actually in the hands of his elder brother, Li Zeju.
His company, PCCW, led by Richard Li, takes a high-tech approach and has little to do with these traditional real estate businesses.
Lu Yang's revenge this time hit the eldest brother's sore spot precisely. It not only damaged the eldest brother's performance, but also shook the eldest brother's position in the old man's heart!
"You want me to use my reputation to salvage my brother's losses? To quell that bumpkin's anger? That's a complete joke!" Li Zekai let out a sarcastic laugh, his eyes flashing with madness. "Fine! Very well! You want me to apologize? No way!"
A more extreme and reckless idea took shape in his mind, coiling around his heart like a poisonous vine.
"Fight! Then let's fight!" He roared at the empty study, his voice filled with a desperate resolve. "Let that mainland bumpkin's revenge come even more fiercely! It would be best if he could destroy all of Big Brother's plans in Shenzhen and the mainland! The more it hurts, the better! Make the old man feel the pain! Make the old man see clearly that this guy surnamed Lu is not just my enemy, Li Zekai's enemy, he is the enemy of the entire Hong Kong Li Group! At that time, let's see if the old man will still make me apologize! He will only want to tear that guy surnamed Lu to pieces!"
He wanted to shift the blame, turning a personal grudge he had instigated into a full-blown war between the Li family and the Century Group! He wanted to use his elder brother's loss to inflict ultimate hostility on his father towards Lu Yang! He was willing to pay any price for this.
Li Zekai has never been one to admit defeat or bow down!
Especially in front of his older brother who always outshone him!
Meanwhile, across the river in Shenzhen, on the top floor of the Century Group headquarters.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows is the bustling and dazzling night view of Pengcheng Bay, with neon lights flashing and cars flowing like a river, a scene full of vitality.
However, this bustling scene, reflected through the cold glass, appeared in Lu Yang's deep eyes, leaving only a calm, emotionless scrutiny.
He had just put down the phone when he heard a report from his trusted lieutenant in charge of the incident.
The content is concise and clear: After Hongxin Real Estate and Wangde Building Materials were dealt a heavy blow, the Li family chose silence. There was no counterattack, no retaliation, not even the slightest sign of attempting to mediate. Those two companies, like abandoned chess pieces, lay quietly on the chessboard, awaiting their final judgment.
"Boss, based on our covert observations, the other side hasn't made any retaliatory moves in Shenzhen or even the rest of the mainland for the time being. The Hongxin Real Estate case involving organized crime has entered the judicial process, and the evidence chain of Wangde Building Materials' tax evasion and use of inferior steel has been transferred to the tax and economic crime investigation departments. These two companies... are basically a done deal. Should we... continue to investigate further and expand our gains?"
The voice on the other end of the phone carried a hint of request.
Lu Yang turned his gaze from the window to the gleaming desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the surface.
"No need." His voice was calm and even, revealing no emotional fluctuation. "Let's leave it at that. That's enough."
"Yes, boss." The person on the other end of the phone didn't ask any further questions and immediately agreed.
The phone call ended, and absolute silence returned to the office.
Lu Yang leaned back in the wide, comfortable leather chair, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
I've finally gotten my revenge, at least temporarily.
Li Zekai, that idiot, pulled those dirty tricks behind the scenes, spreading rumors and harming Mingyue. He paid back that debt severely with the two small but significant pawns of the Li family in mainland China.
The effect was significant; the Li family chose to retreat, at least outwardly acknowledging this loss in silence.
However, Lu Yang felt no relief whatsoever. He knew Li Zekai's nature all too well—a spoiled brat who was vindictive and narrow-minded.
This silence does not signify surrender; it is more likely brewing an even bigger storm.
Moreover, he also received "friendly reminders" from some heavyweight figures in the Shenzhen government—to know when to stop and not to affect the overall situation of reform and opening up, investment attraction, and economic development.
Stability is paramount.
"Heh." A soft snort escaped from Lu Yang's nostrils, carrying a faint hint of mockery, whether directed at Li Zekai's cowardice or at the invisible constraints.
He opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them before being replaced by deeper contemplation.
Pursuing them relentlessly is pointless; Hongxin and Wangde are merely minor ailments to the Li family, unable to harm their foundation. Continuing down this path will only make one appear petty and ruthless, giving others ammunition to attack and handing a weapon to the Li family and other potential rivals.
Knowing when to stop and maintaining a deterrent effect is the best strategy.
As for that idiot Li Zekai... this debt is far from settled, but perhaps it's time to change the battlefield.
After a brief silence, Lu Yang refocused his gaze on an initial market report about the "Waterdrop" MP3 player on his desk.
He reached out and pressed the call button for the internal dedicated line.
"Nini, come to my office."
A moment later, there was a gentle knock on the office door, which was then pushed open.
Dressed in a professional suit, looking shrewd and capable, Lu Nini strode in, carrying a folder in her hand.
"Chairman, did you call me?" she asked respectfully as she walked to the desk.
"Hmm." Lu Yang responded, his gaze falling on the folder in her hand. "Has the launch date for the Waterdrop MP3 been set? Has the final pricing plan been released? What did Wei Shu say?"
“I was just about to report this to you.” Lu Nini immediately opened the folder in her hand, took out a printed document, and handed it over with both hands. “Sister Wei Shu has just drafted the ex-factory cost calculation and retail price proposal for the two Waterdrop MP3 players that our company will be launching soon. Please take a look and make your decision.”
Lu Yang took the document and quickly scanned it.
The document clearly lists the specifications and pricing of the two models:
水滴MP3（基础款）：存储容量64MB，预计可存储歌曲15~20首。物料综合成本约：￥680。拟定零售价：￥1599。
水滴MP3（进阶款）：存储容量128MB，预计可存储歌曲30~40首。物料综合成本约：￥720。拟定零售价：￥1699。
Below the document, Wei Shu added a note: Aside from the different capacity of the core flash memory chip (Century Netac's self-developed technology), the two models are completely identical in design, manufacturing process, casing, and functional modules. The cost difference mainly lies in the flash memory chip, with a very small price difference.
Lu Yang's gaze lingered on the numbers "1599" and "1699" for a few seconds, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
My fingertip lightly tapped the number of less than seven hundred for "Comprehensive Material Cost".
"It's too high." Lu Yang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable determination. "There's no need to set the profit margin so high."
"Huh?" Lu Nini was clearly taken aback by the chairman's direct rejection of the pricing. She paused for a moment. "What Sister Wei Shu means is that our product design, sound quality, and brand positioning are all high-end, and flash memory is our core technological advantage. This pricing is in line with market expectations, leaves ample room for channel and marketing expenses, and also needs to recoup R&D costs..."
Before she could finish speaking, Lu Yang picked up the pen on the table.
The pen tip hovered over the line "Waterdrop MP3 (Basic Model)" on the document, aimed at the proposed retail price of "¥1599".
Without the slightest hesitation, his wrist moved steadily and powerfully, the pen tip gliding across the paper with a clear "swish" sound. He decisively crossed out the first number "1" of "1599," then crossed out the "5" that followed, and wrote a "9" below it.
Thus, "￥1599" became a shocking figure—￥999!
Lu Nini's eyes widened instantly, and she caught her breath for a moment. 999?! That's practically cost price. Don't be fooled by the material cost showing only 680; there are subsequent channel fees, marketing expenses, retail rent, labor costs, and so on. Which link doesn't need a profit margin to guarantee?
It's fair to say that setting the price at 999 doesn't make any money at all.
Lu Yang completely ignored her and immediately shifted his gaze to the price of the upgraded version, "￥1699".
He stared at the number, the pen in his hand hovering, as if weighing his options. The air in the office seemed to freeze; Lu Nini held her breath, nervously watching the pen in the chairman's hand.
A few seconds later, Lu Yang's pen fell, but he did not change the numbers.
He simply drew a heavy circle next to the number "1699," then looked up at the shocked Lu Nini, his tone calm yet carrying immense power:
“The basic version, go with this one.” He pointed to the “999” that he had personally rewritten.
"As for the advanced version..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the circled "1699" again, his eyes deep, as if assessing some invisible battlefield situation, "...Let's proceed according to Wei Shu's plan for now. That's it."
After saying that, he pushed the document in his hand forward and casually tossed the pen onto the table, making a slight sound.
The way he acted made it seem as if what he had just decided was not the pricing of a product that could disrupt the market, but a trivial matter.
Lu Nini instinctively took the document, her gaze fixed on the drastically altered "799," her heart pounding wildly. 799! This was practically a nuclear bomb dropping on the Walkman and CD player market! She could almost foresee the sensation on the day of the launch, and... the ensuing bloodbath.
She looked up sharply at Lu Yang, only to see that the chairman had once again turned his gaze to the bustling night view outside the window, his profile cold and deep, like a silent volcano.
Lu Nini suddenly understood that Lu Yang's battlefield was never limited to the deceit and treachery of the business world.
Clearly, the other party has a deeper plan, but he simply doesn't understand it. (End of Chapter)